U.S. data highlight isles' cost, diversity

Hawaii's diversity and high cost of living was spotlighted in a wide-ranging new report from the U.S. Census Bureau that ranked the isles at or near the top of the nation in several categories.

The state ranked first in the nation for percentage of population who are solely of Asian descent, 42 percent, and the percentage of those who are solely Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 8.5 percent, according to the bureau's American Community Survey for 2005, which was released today.

Hawaii also had the nation's highest percentage of population that reported being of mixed race, 21 percent.

Reflecting Hawaii's high cost of housing, the state ranked third in the nation, behind Utah and California, for household size, with the average home here having 2.88 persons, the report says.

The state was second, behind Florida, for the percentage of households with at least one person 65 years or above, 28.7 percent.

According to the Census Bureau, the survey provides the first detailed data on some U.S. communities since 2000. The annual survey provides data that otherwise would not have been released until about two years after the next nationwide census was done in 2010.

"The nationwide implementation of the American Community Survey signals a dramatic improvement in the availability of local data used by government, communities and businesses," Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon said in a news release.

"The data are vital for the planning, implementation and evaluation of policies ranging from building new schools and roads to establishing initiatives that drive economic development."

Today's report gave a snapshot of Hawaii in 2005, including:

>> A total population of 1,275,194.

>> Among those listing themselves of one race, Asians ranked first, followed by whites, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders.

>> Among those who are solely Asian, Japanese ranked first, then Filipino, and Chinese.

>> There were 97.6 males for every 100 females.

The 2005 survey included Honolulu, Maui and Hawaii counties, but not Kauai, according to the bureau.